


The Unexpected Proposal

by AcademyofShipping



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: A little bit of plot, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-08-24
Packaged: 2018-04-17 01:18:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4646931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcademyofShipping/pseuds/AcademyofShipping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Diggle makes sure Felicity hears why Oliver isn’t taking the next step in their relationship. Fluff with a tiny little bit of plot if you squint real hard, but mostly fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Unexpected Proposal

Their mission for the night was over. A success, even by Oliver’s beyond high standards. The gang of bad guys were arrested, the innocent bystanders were saved, and the team managed not to get hurt, beyond a bruised finger Laurel received. At the Arrow Cave, Felicity was about to take out her earpiece for the night, after putting her computers in sleep mode, when she heard one of the team members click their comm back on.

She heard Oliver’s voice over the comm. “I don’t know how.”

“Oliver? What’s going on?” Felicity asked. His voice wasn’t as clear as it normally was. It was as if he was speaking at a distance from the mic. She heard another click which indicated she had been muted on his end. Felicity quickly started up two of the computers to search for his location. He must have found some trouble on his way home.

“What do you mean?” Diggle’s voice was stronger than Oliver’s. Felicity allowed herself to relax a fraction, knowing, whatever was happening, Oliver had backup.

“I’m not sure if I can put it into words.” Felicity had found their location. It was Diggle who had turned his comm on, and supposedly muted her. It was the same location they had signed off at, a couple blocks north of the precinct. She had pulled up traffic camera footage from their location and it didn’t appear as if anyone else was with them. Felicity considered hacking into the closest satellite and re-tasking it to their location so she could have more details of the situation, but decided to hold off.

“Oliver, I can’t help you if you don’t find a way to tell me,” Diggle said. He was clearly stressed.

“I don’t deserve her-”

“Please don’t start this again.”

“No, listen. Being with Felicity is a gift. A gift I don’t deserve, but…I…”

Had Diggle turned on his comm so Felicity could eavesdrop on a private conversation about her and Oliver’s relationship? Felicity knew she should not be listening to this, no matter what Diggle intended. She went to pull her earpiece out again, but something stilled her hand. She knew it was dishonest and crossed lines, nothing a healthy relationship was built on. Even so, Felicity felt she needed to know what Oliver was about to say.

In what Felicity knew to be his beyond-agitated-with-Oliver voice, Diggle said, “Will you just tell me why, after a year and half of you two living together, you haven’t asked Felicity to marry you yet?”

Oh.

There was silence on the comm for several of Felicity’s loud heartbeats and then Oliver said, very soft, “She deserves so much better than me. And, yes, I’m happier than I’ve ever been, but I’m cherishing her until it ends. I would gladly do anything to spend the rest of my life with her, except force her to be with me. And asking her to marry me would be like forcing her because she’d say yes. She’d think marrying me was what she wanted. And she’d be happy for a while but…it wouldn’t last. I have to love her enough to always give her a way out.”

Felicity felt her throat swell up and her eyes sting. She quickly blinked and cleared her throat as she refused to be touched by how much Oliver loved her, which led him to have asinine tendencies. They were asinine because they were the exact opposite of what they both wanted.

It was as if they both wanted mint chocolate chip, but Oliver thought she deserved better and got her rocky road instead. Except this was, of course, infinitely more important than ice cream. And Felicity took ice cream very seriously.

“Man, you’re an idiot,” Diggle said and turned off his comm. She shook her head at John’s interference. Felicity didn’t particularly like being one of his puppets, but his intentions were good and she was glad she finally knew what Oliver was thinking. And if anyone had the right to interfere in Felicity and Oliver’s relationship, it was the man who had to stand by and watch them dance around the inevitable for years.

Felicity stood up and walked away from the computers. Her mind was too chaotic for her body to remain still. She began to pace around the Arrow Cave, her hands fidgeted with the other. She searched her memory for any emotional distance Oliver had put between them, but came up with nothing. To Felicity it hadn’t seemed as if he was protecting her from him, it had only felt like Oliver didn’t want to get married. Or perhaps like he didn’t want to get married to her.

“Boys are so stupid,” Felicity said aloud. She couldn’t deny it had hurt a bit thinking Oliver didn’t want to marry her. Not that she was entirely certain she wanted the whole husband, house, white picket fence, 2.5 kids, etc., but she would’ve liked the option. She had to admit the thought of pledging to spend the rest of her days with Oliver and vice versa created a warm feeling inside her heart. There was a comfort and security in the idea Felicity wasn’t aware was missing from their relationship until now.

Now she knew she not only wanted to be married to Oliver, she needed it. Felicity needed the promise of forever with Oliver.

“Love me enough to give me a way out?” Felicity couldn’t hold her thoughts in her head any longer. “What about loving me enough to allow me to make my own damn decisions? Huh? What about that? Maybe I happen to know my own heart and mind. Maybe I know what I’ve gotten myself into, which is clearly fallen for an idiot who thinks he knows what is best for everyone. And why would he bother asking what I want? That is clearly irrelevant.”

When Oliver and Diggle made it back to the Arrow Cave they found Felicity pacing around the conference table and muttering to herself. Oliver got off his bike and took off his helmet in two seconds and was at Felicity’s side in one. He gently put his hands on her upper arms in an attempt to soothe her.

“What’s wrong, Felicity?”

“You,” Felicity said as she poked his chest. Then again for emphasis. “You are being stupid.”

Confusion swept over Oliver’s face as Diggle hung back with his arms crossed as a smile threatened to crack his face in half. Oliver dropped his hands from Felicity’s arms and stepped back.

“What’d I do?”

“You still think I deserve better than you. You’re still being a dumb martyr and ‘loving me enough,’” Felicity somehow managed to make even her air quotes have sarcasm, “to give me a way out?”

“Felicity, how did you-” Oliver looked over at Diggle and pointed at him while his face scrunched up in annoyance. “Nobody asked you to interfere, John.”

“Someone had to,” Diggle responded as calmly as if they were discussing the best route to get home. Oliver continued to glare at him.

“I’m glad I know, so I know what an idiot you are.”

“Hey,” Oliver turned around to Felicity.

“I’ve been thinking something is wrong with me and that’s why you didn’t want to marry me. But in reality, something is wrong with you. How you can still be so dense about us?”

“Felicity, I never meant-”

“No, I’m talking. You’ve lost your privilege to talk right now,” Felicity said with her loud voice. She then took a deep breath to try to calm her nerves and stop her hands from shaking. Gently, as if she was trying to talk down a bear, she said, “I love you. And it’s only ever going to be you. You’re it for me.

“When I met you, and your mission became mine, you gave my life purpose. You saw me and what I was capable of when no one else did. You gave me a way to find myself. And in the process you became my best friend. No matter how much I fought with you or how loud I yelled at you, you never left me.

“You've shown me who you are. Oliver, you are loyal and kind. You are smart, when you’re not being an idiot. And you will do anything, and I mean anything, for those you love. And I'm lucky enough to be one of those people. Of course I fell for you. You’re stuck with me, whether you think you deserve me or not, which, for the record, you do. So you may as well marry me.”

“Did you just propose?” Oliver asked. His eyes went huge and his fingers stopped rubbing together. His jaw dropped at the same time his lips smiled wide. Diggle didn't try to control the laugh that escaped.

“I guess I did,” Felicity said after replaying what she said in her head. “But don't expect me to get down on a knee in this dress.”

“Are you sure, Felicity?”

“Yes.”

“You hadn’t planned on proposing, did you?” Oliver asked.

“No, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want it. I want-I need to marry you.”

Oliver looked at Felicity with awe as he stepped closer to her.

“Felicity, how did I get so lucky?”

“You brought a bullet infested laptop to me and told me you spilt a latte on it.”

“I love you,” Oliver whispered as he held Felicity’s head in both of his hands. His calloused hands created delicious friction on her skin. He tilted her head up, and pressed his lips between her smooth bottom lip. He tugged gently on it and then slanted his lips over her whole mouth, as their noses scraped.

Felicity’s hand went up to his neck and scratched his scalp lightly. Her other hand tried to go around his waist but found his quiver was in the way. Instead her hand went to his bare bicep and Felicity arched her body closer to his until they were fused together. Oliver’s tongue entered her mouth and the kiss became more urgent.

Felicity’s head spun from the lack of oxygen. She pulled back a minuscule amount to take a breath before diving right back to his mouth. Oliver somehow managed to step closer to her, bringing his leg in between hers and she held tighter to his arm. The warmth of his body enclosed around her. A moan escaped in the back of her throat and went down Oliver’s spine. Oliver groaned softly back and held her head tighter.

Gradually their kissing slowed, and he pecked her lips several times before pulling away. Their cheeks were flushed and their hearts were beating hard as if they had finished an advanced spinning class. He slid his hands gradually down her neck, her shoulders, her arms, until finally he took hold of both of her hands. His eyes stared into hers and somehow the last bit of pain Oliver held in his eyes disappeared.

“Oliver, is that a yes?” Felicity asked, a little breathless.

“Yes, Felicity. I'd love to marry you.” The two were about to kiss again when Diggle interrupted.

“It’s about damn time.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you'd like, you can message me at:  
> tumblr: academyofshipping  
> twitter: @ShippingAcademy


End file.
